In this week’s episode of ManageMental, Blasko and Mike chat about streaming and the future of music. This is gonna be killer...so let’s get mental!

Original Article: http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/streaming-is-killed-the-cd-and-its-ok.html

TITLE: Steaming killed the CD and It’s OK.

Earlier this year, US-based supermarket chain Best Buy announced it will no longer carry music on physical CDs due to its dwindling sales. According to sources speaking to Billboard Magazine, the chain was making a mere $40 million a year from record sales, a sum that’s apparently too small to carry on. Best Buy plans to completely eliminate CDs from its stores by July 1st, the sources say, but it will continue to sell vinyl for at least two more years.Evolution and ConvenienceTechnology is evolving at a fast pace - and the recording industry does the same, mostly to cater to its consumers’ needs. Gone are the days when you had to buy a CD and rip/encode the music from it so you can listen to it on your iPod or mobile phone. Today, you tune into your music streaming service of choice and listen to whatever you want for one flat monthly fee. And, let’s face it, this is the easiest way to listen to music today.RecognitionThis switch to streaming affects more than just retailers, of course. Actually, it has made its presence felt in all areas except maybe for the awards business. After all, the way the music reaches the listener doesn’t affect its artistic value, and the most prestigious awards are focusing on that. The phrase “without regard to album sales, chart position, or critical reception” is part of the description of all Grammys; this is probably one of the few things people don’t know about the Grammy awards. Artistic excellence remains the same no matter if the creation in question is distributed on CD, vinyl, memory card or through the airwaves.The NumbersMusic streaming has reached a “tipping point” in 2016 when, for the first time, its revenues have overtaken physical record sales as the main source of income for the music industry. And it has the potential to reach people otherwise intangible for the business, too. In the year 2000, almost 950 million music CDs were sold in the United States. By 2017, this number has decreased to under 90 million. Streaming did kill the CD just like the CD killed vinyl, just like vinyl killed the phonograph cylinder. It’s the survival of the fittest.---------------------Rockabilia is your One Stop Shop for all band merch with the largest selection of officially licensed music merchandise in the world! Find merch from your favorite bands & use PCJABBERJAW for 15% off at www.rockabilia.com-----------Want more industry insight? Outerloop Coaching has you covered! www.outerloopcoaching.com ------------Email any questions or comments to [email protected] on Twitter and Instagram: @blasko1313Mike Mowery on Twitter and Instagram: @mikeoloopJoin the ManageMental Facebook Group here: facebook.com/groups/811267075737370ManageMental is part of the Jabberjaw Media Podcast Network. www.jabberjawmedia.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices